Colonel Red Blue Eyed Blak
Future jazz fans, you know the voice-that smokey, whiskey-soaked countertenor and falsetto on Mustang‘s “Help […]
Future jazz fans, you know the voice-that smokey, whiskey-soaked countertenor and falsetto on Mustang‘s “Help Me,” John Beltran‘s “True Colors,” and Delgui‘s “It‘s Gonna Be Alright.” If you‘re not familiar, here‘s a smooth, super-soulful introduction to Colonel Red (Nick Romillie). A singer who‘s been dropping his curving, jazz-crafty croon for well over a dozen years, Red‘s wealth of experience comes to the fore as he restrains his scat over the broken Afrobeat of “U Gimmmi That Feeling” and paces his delivery like a pro on the title track, building plenty tension with Rasiyah (Restless Soul). But Blue Eyed Blak is about more than Red‘s vocal talents-Red did most of the playing, production, and arrangement on his own and his elegant blend of broken beats and loungey R&B makes for a beautiful, if occasionally tepid, backdrop for his singular voice.